Jon Erpenbach, Wisconsin State Senetor, is proposing that a one percent state tax be added to video games
(including computer games). His goal is to generate enough money to fund the juvenile detention system to allow 17-year-olds to be treated as minors by the courts.

“Number one, I think it’s the right thing to do because not all seventeen-year-olds belong in the adult system when it comes to non-violent offenses … secondly, in the long run, the numbers show that if you treat certain situations in a juvenile delinquent-type of a setting, as opposed to an adult setting, chances are there’s going to be less of a problem when the kid gets older,” said Erpenbach.

Although Senator Erpenbach doesn’t appear to be linking video games to the crimes of these juveniles, at least one Wisconsin Representative, Steve Nass, has taken issue with the perceived link. I’m in agreement with him that 17-year-olds involved in non-violent crime should be treated as minors, but a tax on a single product group isn’t the way to go about it. I’m confident that a smaller percentage tax increase on overall sales will be just as, or more, effective as taxing a single product group one percent.